Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Naftali Bennett's Policies in One Page

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When Israel's two religious-Zionist parties united in November
2012, they comprised 5 Knesset seats (two others formed a break-away party). Recent
polls predict some 15 seats for the combined Jewish Home – National Union
faction.

How did the religious-Zionist public triple their representation?

Meet Naftali Bennett.

His credentials are impressive:

He is a major in the
reserves in Israel’s most elite IDF unit: Matkal

He founded a hi-tech
company, and the partners sold it for $145 million

PM Netanyahu’s Chief of
Staff in 2006-7

Director of the Council of
Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria from Jan. 2010

Bennett is a rising star who through his many media
appearances is positioning a proud and uncompromising claim to our land and our
Jewish values as mainstream.

What are Bennett’s policies that are so convincing? Here’s a
brief summary.

Bennett’s Position on a Two-State Solution

Summed up in one word: No.

Hear Bennett in his own words on this topic (in fluent
English!) at the 5:35 minute mark in the video below. He successfully conveys a
refreshing new message that saying “no” to a two-state solution is the logical
and compulsory conclusion of recent Israeli policy. Watch the whole 7-minute video
to hear his vision for Israel in the year 2040.

Bennett’s Next Step In Dealing with the Arabs

In the 1990’s, the Labor Party governments of Rabin and
Peres imported tens of thousands of Arab soldiers from Tunis and handed tens of
thousands of assault rifles to members of the world’s premier terrorist organization
– the PLO – in order to facilitate peace in Israel. (I know that sounds like
madness but leave it for another article.) The Labor Party leaders thereby established
Arab autonomy over much of the region known as the West Bank. The map of this
region was divided by the Labor Party into three areas:

Area A - large
Arab-populated cities like Ramallah, Shechem, Hevron with Arab military
control (20% of the land);

Area B - Smaller Arab towns
with municipal but not military control (20% of the land);

Area C – the Jewish towns
and tracts of open state-owned land (60% of the land incl. Judean Desert).

Bennett formulated a practical plan which takes a step
forward towards Israeli sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria. He advocates
extending Israeli sovereignty over Area C, while leaving Areas A and B under the
status quo. Extending Israeli rule over
areas A and B would involve an all-out military clash and violent confiscation
of weapons. But, annexing Area C – the Jewish towns – is picking the
easy-reachable low-hanging fruit.

Here is the plan (English subtitles):

Bennett presents the same plan in this English video:

Bennett’s Economic Agenda

In the video below (starting at the 5:00-minute mark),
Bennett explains the three groups and institutions which are strangling the Israel
market:

The ruling elite tycoons

The Defense Ministry which
has more than doubled its budget in ten years. The reason? The terms and
pensions for the employees of the Ministry and IDF have become inflated

The labor unions which promote
excellent terms for 250,000 workers, but this is done at the expense of
the weak sectors.

( English subtitles)

Lowering Tuition Costs

"Giving=Receiving" is Bennett’s new
policy regarding lowering tuition costs for those who serve in theIDF. He sought to reward people who serve in the IDF without
increasing the military budget. But how? Here is his simple,
brilliant idea.

State universities and state-subsidized colleges cost the
Israeli student (whether Jew or Arab) approximately 10,000 NIS ($2600)/year.
The private colleges cost 30,000 NIS ($8,000). That means that the state is, in
essence, subsidizing every Jewish or Arab student at state schools with a 20,000
NIS ($5400) subsidy.

In order to encourage service in the IDF and reserves,
Bennett’s plan raises the subsidy for students who enlisted (including
minorities) and lowering the subsidy for students who didn’t contribute to the
country (be they Hareidi-religious or Arab or anyone else).

Regarding tuition for the state schools, he says:

IDF Reservists - pay only
5,000 NIS instead of current 10,000 NIS

Others – pay 20,000 NIS
instead of current 10,000 NIS.

Here is the college tuition plan in Hebrew (no subtitles)

Bennett on CNN On Gaza Warfare (in English)

Excellent job in presenting Israel’s case

A Relaxed Interview With Bennett at His Home (English
Subtitles)

Finally, here is the Jewish Home Party's USA-born immigrant stating in
clear English the party’s platform

2 comments:

This is off-subject, but I read recently that Mr. Gordon is going to be travelling to Florida soon, and I just wanted to extend my wishes for a safe trip, and to enjoy your stay in the Sunshine State! It's a beautiful place (minus the mosquitos and humidity) hehe. Mr. Baruch you have a sweet friendly smile, a cute family, and a nice blog. ~Chashmal